Hare and Hound
by Invisible Staircase
Summary: A hare raising a pup?  Arthur simply had to be mad.  A fluffy woodland tale involving the animals of FACE.


"Leave it alone, Arthur... you know what that is..." The voice sounded quiet, distant. Hushed to the tiniest of whispers, his brother obviously didn't want to remain here a moment longer than necessary. Rightfully, Arthur couldn't blame him. Any good hare with any sense wouldn't linger around a dog, unconscious pup or no.

"Hurry up, let's go! Before its mother or master or anything else comes for it!" The voice of another one of his brothers, punctuated by impatient hops and skittish darts back and forth through the undergrowth. Yes, it was all very sound advice, advice that would help keep them safe and away from death's hands. Arthur knew very well how dangerous hunters were, coming with their guns and their traps and their dogs. The world of the woods was a dangerous place, and it was the unwise hare who purposely lingered where it was unsafe.

Still... there was something about this poor pathetic pup that wouldn't let Arthur dash away with his brothers. There was something about it, curled and crumpled on its side, breathing shallow and weak, that kept him right here. Its pale coat was muddy and caked in clumps, its tiny pink tongue hanging stupidly yet sadly out of the corner of its mouth. Such a tiny thing right now, no bigger than Arthur really. It hardly looked a threat at all, though young hare as he was, Arthur knew better. Pups grew into proper dogs, and dogs snapped the necks of unsuspecting hares.

Even so, it was such a sad sight... what was the pup doing so far out in the woods, all alone? It seemed far too young to be out here at all.

"Arthur!" His eldest brother hissed, right next to him. A nip suddenly pricked his ear, caused Arthur to flinch and rear back on his haunches, batting his brother away in indignation. His brother boxed back for just a moment before leaping away. "Collect those floppy ears of yours and let's go!"

Bristling at the comment about his ears (his stupid ears that wouldn't stand up straight like everyone else's no matter how he tried), Arthur turned away. He hated to be the brunt of the joke, something his brothers made him all too often. With a prim little huff and a quick groom to his fur, Arthur shot his kin a rather nasty look over his shoulder. "I'll go when I like. No reason for the rest of you to stay here!"

Arthur had always been sensitive about being a bit different from the others, and why shouldn't he be? Yes, his brothers would still keep him company on occasion, look out for him in moments like this... but there was always the teasing. The other woodland creatures as well. Because of his ears or no, he'd always been somewhat avoided. Treated as a bit different. Isolated in the crowd. He'd die before saying he was lonely, yet... possibly... he might be. A bit.

His brothers hopped and fidgeted, none too thrilled with the idea of leaving their brother alone with a dog. But when the wind carried the distant baying of hounds their way they took off through the scattered underbrush of the woods, leaving Arthur all alone. Blinking and squatting down into a ball, Arthur was loathe to admit he'd sort of hoped at least one of them would stay. _'Or that at the very least they wouldn't take off so quickly!'_ He remained very still, listening and sniffing at the air, before he uncurled a bit and turned back to the pup.

"I should leave you here... your sort has given me nothing but troubles in the past." He hopped slightly closer, one fore paw reaching out to tap at the pup's head. One eye opened just a crack, and when the pup let out a tiny whimpering whine Arthur's feet carried him away and beneath a bush so quickly it took his senses a moment just to catch up. His heart raced as every instinct screamed to flee from this dog! But the pup just whimpered pitifully a moment more, before that eye slipped shut once again. Arthur waited still as a statue for quite some time before letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Slowly he hopped back forward, nose working overtime as he examined the little dog.

"You're... really in a bad way, aren't you?" There was no way this pup would survive. If he didn't simply starve to death right here, he'd no doubt be picked up by one of the larger more fierce woodland creatures. Arthur sat back, debating just what to do. This... really wasn't his concern. Not at all. He didn't _like_ dogs, and it'd been a complete accident, finding this pup.

"I cannot believe I'm doing this," he muttered as he turned and quickly rushed away, one very specific goal in mind.

~1~1~1~1~1~1~

"Oy!" He shouted, as much as a hare could shout, rising up tall on his haunches and trying to puff out his fur, seem intimidating. His tiny heart was beating fast in his chest, every sense on alert and legs ready to run. He watched closely as the fox before him lifted its heady, fluffy tail moving away from where it'd been curled around a red-hued body. With a languid yawn, the fox turned his attention towards Arthur, ears perking up and a sly grin splitting his face, almost seeming a leer.

"Oh? And what is this? Does my sweet little Arthur come willingly to my den? Such a precious hare you are..." The fox uncurled and rose to his feet, almost dainty paws taking a few innocent steps closer.

"Not another step Francis!" Arthur shouted, with all the fierceness and determination he held in his agile little body. The fox chuckled, taking a seat and swishing his tail to the side as if flaring out a coat.

"As you wish my little hare. Tell me then, how may I help you?" The implications in that question made Arthur's skin crawl beneath his fur, and he shuddered just a little. Sometimes he honestly felt that when Francis wasn't looking at him as if he were his next dinner, that the fox seemed to forget that Arthur was a hare, and not a suitable mate.

"Food," he answered concisely, causing Francis' ears to perk further before mirthful laughs escaped his lips.

"I do believe you have things a bit backwards here, no?" Arthur bristled and turned, taking a few quick hops away from Francis' den.

"Not for me you git, and certainly not you, now hurry up!" He didn't wait to make sure the fox followed, knowing the creature had nothing better to do with his time. He hopped swiftly and quickly back the way he'd come, fast yet quiet. Inwardly he tried to ignore how worried he was, hoping that in his short time away looking for the fox nothing had happened to the pup. He didn't _know_ why he was going out of his way for something that was probably going to try to eat him later... but he was. He wanted to help the pup and that was all there was to it, apparently.

Thankfully, the dog was still where he left it, still curled up and pathetic looking as it'd been. He hopped right up to it, resting his paws on the dirty fur and giving him a quick sniff over. Yes, the pup was ok, but only for now.

"Oh? What have we here...?" The fox's smooth voice carried over, and as the beast slunk his way over Arthur momentarily panicked.

"He's not for you to eat!" He wedged himself firmly between pup and fox, for all he could truly do against the predator. Francis smiled and stared over him and the weak little bundle on the ground.

"No? Then what is he for? Surely you can see he is quite helpless, left without his mother here to watch over him." The fox looked down at Arthur, and the little hare fidgeted under that gaze.

"I... I wanted... I was hoping..." After many false starts the hare finally glared up at the fox, enraged further by the obvious humor Francis found in the situation. "Stop being daft, you know what I want!"

The fox swished his tail lightly, moving around Arthur and approaching the pup. A thin muzzle dipped low, pointy snout sniffing and examining the puppy. Francis took his time, examining the dog with a critical eye, nudging it now and then though he gained no response whatsoever. Arthur watched anxiously, knowing that the fox would have no love of a dog either, having had enough of them sent after him in his life as well. When Francis opened his jaws and bent over the pup Arthur quickly hopped forward, smacking the fox's flank.

"What do you think you're doing?" He sent a few swift bats and kicks at Francis, who seemed to try to flick him away with his tail. Undaunted, the fox brought his teeth down on the pup, grasping it firmly before lifting. Arthur stumbled back a moment as he realized Francis wasn't hurting the pup, simply lifting him by the scruff of his neck. Mouth full, the fox could only stare reproachfully at the hare.

Arthur coughed, but refused to apologize. Away the two went, back to Francis' den, puppy dangling all too still from the fox's mouth.

~1~1~1~1~1~1~

"Arrrtttiiiee!" A bundle of fur and limbs shot towards him, nearly giving the poor hare a heart attack as he was tackled to the ground. The force of the tackle nearly sent them rolling, and it was all Arthur could do to try to regain his wits and calm his racing heart. A wet slobbering tongue attacked his head, and Arthur swore he was going to drown any minute from all this affectionate drooling. He wriggled and squirmed and managed to free his body enough to hop away.

"Alfred, settle down!" He admonished, shaking off and eying the pup warily, lest he be assailed by that tongue for more 'kisses' again. Alfred rolled to his feet, tail wagging like mad and that horrible tongue hanging from his lips. The excitement radiating off the pup was nearly enough to make Arthur feel tired by association.

"But I missed ya! Where've ya been? All I had was dumb ol' Francis to talk to! Oh! But I caught a mole the other day! It was awesome, I caught it all by myself, you shoulda seen me Artie! It tried to get back underground but I caught it! I woulda brought it to you and showed you but I didn't know where you were and I ate it!" The pup's words seemed to race as fast as his tail was wagging, and Arthur tried to seem happy and interested (while hoping he'd not known this now deceased mole personally. He knew he didn't have any mole friends at any rate.).

"'Dumb ol' Francis'?" Came an irritated voice, as the fox himself sauntered out of his den. The fox seemed genuinely put out by the comment, which secretly made Arthur happy. Oh they were mostly neutral with each other now, but Arthur remembered all too well the days when he was just a tiny thing, and Francis had menaced him terribly. It was nice seeing the fox put down a peg or two by something he couldn't snatch up and eat. "I see how it is. I see how you repay the one who has fed you and taught you to hunt!" The fox turned his nose up, snorting.

"It's not the pup's fault he has good sense in company," Arthur teased, smirking as much as a hare could smirk.

Francis refused to look at him. "Perhaps I should teach him how to hunt down rabbits and hares."

Alfred perked up and Arthur boxed his ears. "Absolutely not! Now come on Alfred, lets go have a walk."

"Yes! Alright! Let's go Artie! I saw all these cool new places and found some really awesome smells and-" Chattering away nonstop, the pup obediently followed the hare. Arthur listened in amused and patient silence, having nowhere he truly wanted to go and simply enjoying having company that adored being around him. While it was very true Francis had done much work tending to the pup, bringing him to health and teaching him to hunt, it had been Arthur who'd 'nurtured' the pup's spirit.

Francis offered the basics, but beyond that the fox seemed disinterested in the growing pup. He'd urged Arthur multiple times to lead the pup out of the woods so that they'd be done with him, but Arthur wasn't willing to get rid of Alfred like that. The pup had truly grown on him, an adoring little brother even if he'd already outgrown the hare. Based on the size of Alfred's paws, it was all too clear that he'd be growing even bigger. Bigger than that fox even. All the same, even if it kept the other woodland animals away, Arthur didn't want to be parted from Alfred.

The pup truly seemed to love and adore him, unconditionally, and it was something the hare didn't want to lose, no matter the risk.

So he tolerated the tackles, the additional jibes whenever his brothers were brave enough to come near him, and endured seeing Francis on a semi-regular basis. All these things he could do if it meant having this bundle of happy company. Alfred had adapted well to a life in the woods it seemed, and perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea, having a dog as an ally. It might leave him a bit safer, really. And of course, Arthur knew deep down he need never worry about Alfred turning on him. No, he'd never look at the hare as a meal, no matter what hunting lessons Francis threatened.

"... and then Francis got his tail stuck in this log, and it was sooo funny watching him try to yank it out! He was furious for days after! And then-" Alfred's senseless chattered stopped abruptly, though Arthur had already frozen. His body tensed, perfectly at attention as he heard and smelled it. He'd nearly missed it, being so close to Alfred like this, but now the new scent was almost upon him and his heart screamed in terror that it was too late. As Alfred stood there, ears perked and head cocked to the side rather stupidly, Arthur darted beneath some tree roots, taking shelter just in time to be hidden when the dog came rushing around a tree.

The hare stared in stunned silence as a dog that looked nearly identical to Alfred came to a skidding halt. He seemed better groomed, and he had a collar around his neck that marked him as an ally of man. But the dog paused, young and inexperienced looking, just vaguely smaller than Alfred. The canines stared at each other in silence, and dread filled the small hare as he remained too frightened to come out or yell at Alfred to run away.

No, instead of running, the stupid git began to wag his tail.

"Hi, what's your name?" Alfred barked brightly, sniffing away at the strange other pup as if he had every right to do so. The other dog seemed unsure, shifting about as if a little unnerved, though beginning to wag his own tail slightly.

"I'm... I'm Matthew... who are you...?"

Alfred nearly bounced, falling to the leaf ridden dirt and rolling over a couple of times playfully. "I'm Alfred! Nice to meet'cha Mattie!" Alfred flipped back onto his feet, all excited pants and wagging tail. "Where'd you come from, I've never seen ya before! Hey you look like me, and smell like me a little too!"

Growing more comfortable, the other pup's tail wagged a bit faster. "I came from my master's home... it's on the edge of the woods. I've never been taken this far into the woods before, they're so big." The pup turned about slowly, as if taking it all in. "But he's training me to come in here more now, we're going to go hunting at the lake! Do you know where the lake is?"

Alfred let out a loud bark. Arthur wished he'd be quiet! "Of course I do! I chase the water birds there sometimes! It's really fun."

Matthew wiggled a bit, excited but shy about showing it. "Really? Do... do you want to come with us? I'm sure my master wouldn't mind..."

As if on cue, two men came through the brush and around the trees, and Arthur's heart felt like it stopped he tried to keep so still. Alfred flinched, darting away at the sight of the men, and Arthur mentally cheered him on. _'That's right, remember what I told you! That's man... get out of there Alfred!'_ The pup backed away, tail tucked low, ready to run away. Arthur wondered what was making the pup hesitate.

"Mattie... Mattie get over here! Man is behind you! Come on Mattie we gotta run!"

The other pup tilted his head, looking from Alfred back to the men, listening to their strange verbal sounds. He sat down, staring at Alfred. "But... this is my master? Why would I run?" One of the men knelt down beside him, scratching his ears and talking in Alfred's direction.

"Because... because men are bad. Artie told me so!" Alfred turned a skittish circle, head dropping low in fright as one of the men stretched a hand out towards him.

"My master isn't bad!" Matthew piped up, and Arthur wished the other dog would shut up and go away! Arthur's blood felt cold, he could tell something horrible was going to happen here! He needed to stop it, but his body just wouldn't move! "It's ok, he won't hurt you! I promise!"

Alfred seemed doubtful, yet remained still as the man crept forward, hand held out and low. Cautiously the pup sniffed the offered hand, eyes watching the man and listening to the soothing sounds he was making. Arthur knew what was happening, this was a trap! The man was casting some sort of spell, and he'd enslave Alfred with it at any minute! The hare tried to will his voice to work or his body to move. If he ran, surely Alfred would follow? But when Alfred's tail began to wag, and he let the man pet his head, Arthur closed his eyes in defeat. The men looped a small coil of rope around the pup's neck, and led Arthur's little brother away.

~1~1~1~1~1~1~

Mired in depression for a week, at last the hare realized he wasn't going to let things end like this. He was going to rescue Alfred before man's spell could ruin him forever. So he'd enlisted Francis' help in tracking down where the men lived (it turned out the fox was fond of raiding their hen house) and followed him there. It was difficult, for much of the land between the woods and the farm border were clear and open, and Arthur was wary of being spotted by predators. So he waited until it was dark and he saw Alfred tied up just outside the house. The other pup was nowhere in sight.

Carefully Arthur hopped over. "Alfred, Alfred wake up..."

The pup raised his head slowly, blinking his eyes before his tail began to thump on the ground. "Artie!" He started to rise and the hare jumped on him, keeping him down.

"Shh, don't draw attention!" The hare looked at the leash keeping Alfred here, hoping he'd be able to chew through it. "Just stay still and I'll get you out of here!"

Alfred stayed down, his tail still thumping the ground as it wagged. "Get me out of here? But why Artie? It's really cool living here. Man isn't bad at all! They feed me so I don't have to hunt and they like to play lots and give me pats and scratches! It sucked when they stuck me in all that water and brushed my hair and junk, and oh they stuck me with these sharp things too, but otherwise they're really cool! I like it here Artie, you should stay here too!"

The hare stopped in his chewing, heart dropping. The pup was deeply under their spell already it seemed. But Arthur knew better, knew that man never used his magic on hares, knew what they'd want to do to him! He returned to his work. "Don't be daft Alfred, they're fooling you. It's not safe here. Not for you, not for me."

Alfred let out a small whine. Doubtful. "But... Mattie's really happy... and they seem really nice..."

Arthur refused to dignify that remark with a response, chewing through the last of the restraint. He hopped off the pup, moving a few feet towards the wood line. "Come on Alfred, let's hurry home!"

The pup rose to his feet, looking at the severed leash before looking back at Arthur. The pup hung his head, tail between his legs. "But Artie..."

"I said come, Alfred. Hurry now. Be a good boy..." The hare tried to sound braver than he felt, tried to ignore the fear that his little brother wasn't coming. Alfred took a few tiny steps closer before slumping to the ground, letting out an unhappy whine.

"But Artie... I... I like it here... and I like Mattie... and... stay here too Artie... please?" Puppy eyes stared hopefully at the hare, and it was all Arthur could do to turn his back and run away.

~1~1~1~1~1~1~

In the year that'd followed, Arthur swore the woods had grown darker, grown colder and lonelier. He hadn't seen Alfred again since that night, and frankly he couldn't bring himself to go anywhere near the edge of the wood near that farm. In fact, the only other animal he'd spoken with at all since losing Alfred was Francis, and the fox was irritating company at best. For the poor flop eared hare, life had seemed to diminish, and his movements through the woods were listless at the best of times. He wasn't mourning the loss of the pup, absolutely not! It was just... he had no reason to act foolishly happy at all. Ever.

A rustling in the brush nearby had him sighing, not up for dealing with the fox today. He groaned and turned a weary eye to his left, the words already leaving his lips. "I'm not in the mood Francis..."

The feral snarl that answered him gave the hare just enough warning that _this_ was not the fox! With a frantic leap Arthur just barely dodged the wolf's claws, body going into overdrive as his instincts sent him running and leaping away as fast as he could. The wolf, looking half starved, gave chase. Arthur's heart beat wildly, fearing that at any moment more members of the pack would burst from the trees, come after him and trap him. But as he darted and dashed this way and that, it started to become clear that this was no pack wolf. An outcast, ostracized, it hunted small prey because it couldn't bring down anything larger.

With tenacity bred from starvation, the wolf refused to give up though. Arthur prayed for some hole or hollow to duck into, yet in his haste to keep ahead of the beast he could spot none. He thought he saw, for just a moment, the startled face of Francis, but he couldn't stop to make certain, had no time to call for help. As it was there was nothing a mere fox could do against this wolf.

More than once jaws nearly snapped down on Arthur, death too close on his heels to think he was going to escape anymore. In sheer desperation Arthur could only try to flee faster, ducking through anything he could to slow the killer behind him down. When the wolf suddenly yelped and snarled at a sharp bramble that caught his maw, Arthur thought he saw a sliver of hope. He pushed harder, one last burst for freedom.

The sudden tightening around his hind leg made him cry out, the noose closing and tightening. His momentum carried him forward, yanking his leg painfully as he suddenly found himself tangled and ensnared in a hunter's trap. Blindly he flailed and pulled against the twine, his leg screaming at him but his instincts forcing him to keep moving. He had to get out! He needed to get away! Yanking and tugging his eyes widened as the wolf crept forward, having caught up at last.

It was only the scent of man that stopped the wolf from immediately pouncing upon him, the predator taking cautious sniffs at the air. Starvation made it bold though, and with a growl it advanced on the hare. Heart hammering away in his chest like a tiny drum, Arthur closed his eyes against the inevitable. The sudden onslaught of barking, and the heavy sound of paws racing forward baited him into cracking them open just a bit. The sight left him breathless.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Alfred came lunging at the wolf, tackling it down and biting and barking. No longer was the hare staring at a pup, Alfred's body grown large and muscular in the year he'd been away. A collar sat around his neck, marking him for what he was even as he wrestled and fought with the wolf. The starved beast wasn't about to give up now, desperation trapping it in this fight. It bit and snapped at Alfred, drawing blood just as much as the dog did as well. The two forms rolled and tumbled and crashed together, vicious snarls punctuating their movements. Even starved as it was, the wolf was bigger than Alfred, had a killer's instinct.

"Hold still Arthur, we will set you free!" From behind came Francis' voice, the fox already setting upon the rope. Beside him stood the other dog, Matthew, barking and growling, looking for some opportunity to lunge in and help Alfred. The hare could only struggle and watch, leg in too much pain to be of any use.

As if to share the pain, the wolf bit down fiercely on Alfred's leg, forcing a high yelp of pain from the dog. Matthew wasted no time, lunging in to help while Alfred stumbled in his defense. Both dogs tussled with the wolf until the thunderous sound of man's gun split the air. Human voices were shouting, their clumsy footsteps filling the air as they hurried over. At some sort of command, both dogs backed away, another thunder crack bringing the wolf down for good. Francis fled, hiding away in the bushes somewhere nearby.

Arthur though... he could go nowhere. His leg felt on fire, and he could barely use it. All he could do was lie there, watching in horror as Alfred hobbled towards him, limping and whining but so very determined. The humans tried to get him to stop, but he growled, moving until he was lying on the ground, nose right against the hare.

"Artie... Artie are you ok?" As much as it warmed his heart to know Alfred hadn't forgotten him, it nearly broke Arthur's heart to know that this would be the end. He'd be killed here, right before Alfred's eyes, and the dog wouldn't dare do a thing. Man was already approaching, Matthew watching from their side. Alfred's head snapped up, and the most vicious growl escaped his lips when he realized they were reaching for Arthur. The hare stared in awe as the dog threatened his masters, shuffling his body between them.

The humans tried to make their soothing noises, but Alfred wasn't fooled. The pup was seeing sense at last. Matthew moved to nudge one of the men, letting out a plaintive whine. There was some communication between the humans before they tried to move Alfred away again.

"Al... Al... I think... I think it's ok..." Matthew walked over, nudging his brother.

"I won't let them hurt Artie, I won't!" Matthew sighed.

"They won't Al... promise. But you're both hurt... we need to go to that vet thing." Alfred whined. "I know you hate it... but the vet can fix you and Arthur..."

"Don't..." The hare rasped out, body trembling. "Don't let them take me Alfred, please..." He sent a beseeching look to his former pup, watching the indecision that flashed in the dog's eyes. When Alfred lowered his head Arthur shook all the more.

"Mattie's right Artie... they... they can fix you!" Arthur wished he could die right then, closing his eyes and struggling one last time as a pair of human hands picked him up. He opened his eyes just long enough to find out Francis in his hiding place. He'd never see that bloody fox again... never see these woods again...

~1~1~1~1~1~1~

The entire time the men had him, Alfred was at his side. Whether he was curled around Arthur protectively, wedged into the cage the men had put the hare in, or simply guarding it from the outside, Alfred never left. He had his own wounds he was healing, but the dog simply didn't seem to care. Arthur was terrified, completely unnerved to be so far from the wood and so close to man. As if sensing this, Alfred remained loyally by his side. They didn't talk much, the air awkward between them, but they stuck together.

It seemed that this 'vet' thing had indeed fixed Arthur's leg, putting it into some strange stiff trap, but that didn't mean the hare was fooled. Men were not to be trusted, it was as simple as that.

Which was why, many weeks later, when the men removed the leg trap and took him from his cage, Arthur began to squirm. He squirmed all the way to the edge of the wood, ignoring Alfred's reassuring barks. He squirmed and was already moving his legs to run as they set him down, and had taken to the shelter of the woods faster than one could blink when the hands released him. On and on he ran, his heart singing with joy and relief to at last be free and safe! He ran and leaped and bounded until he could hardly breath, until his healed leg ached a bit from the sudden exercise. Crouching down low, he took a break to rest.

The sound of familiar heavy and clumsy paws caught up with him soon after. "Artie! Slow down!" Alfred came to rest beside him, panting heavily. Matthew, less fatigued, appeared just moments later. Arthur was wary.

"I'm not going back Alfred, you cannot make me." The dog seemed to sag, sad, but he shook his head.

"I know... I get it. I'm not gonna make you." The hare relaxed just a bit.

"Then...?" Alfred gave him an affectionate lick.

"I just wanted to make sure ya got back here ok. So I could... say goodbye right this time." Their eyes locked, weighed down with the inevitable.

"Oh... right then." The dog could no more stay out in the woods than the hare could live on the farm. Yet another parting was just around the corner.

"It is good to see you two have become no smarter since I've last seen you," came the taunting voice of the fox, slinking over to them. Arthur scowled, Alfred tilting his head to the side, puzzled. "I did not fetch help for you, Arthur, simply for this to happen."

Moving so that he was the center of attention, Francis seemed rather satisfied with himself. "Why must this be the end, hmm? Is it so impossible for you all to meet at the edge of the wood now and then? Hmm? I know that the men do not keep Matthew and Alfred tethered now that they are so very well behaved."

Alfred perked up, tail wagging. "Hey, he's right! Artie... Artie you can come visit us!"

Hopeful as the hare suddenly was, he hesitated. Coming so close to the farm...

"I'm sure we could keep the farmer away, I could keep them distracted," Matthew offered sweetly, and the fox beamed at him as if proud.

"You see? All is well, is it not?"

Alfred looked hopefully at Arthur, who waited just a bit more before nodding.

"I'm not saying the fox is right... but maybe something like that could work..."

A warm nose and a wet tongue nearly knocked Arthur over as Alfred celebrated, and aside from a few half hearted bats, Arthur enjoyed the attention. It wasn't getting his little puppy back the way he'd hoped... but it was a much brighter future than he would have imagined before.

* * *

><p><strong>After Note:<strong>

I imagine Alfred's breed for this fic (should anyone be wondering), is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, probably with the deadgrass coat coloring. While the AKC doesn't list the breed in the 'hound' group... the title 'Hare and Dog' just doesn't sound quite as nice as 'Hare and Hound'. Ha. I suppose if we're getting technical, I don't know that hares have floppy ears. Maybe I should have called this 'Rabbit and Dog'. Oh well. I certainly wasn't going for accuracy with this.

Reviews are always very lovely, I do enjoy getting feedback.

This was just done to help reset my head for my chapter fics. Hope you enjoyed this silly little story!


End file.
